Order of the Silver Moon
Introduction The Genta sa Henu Elua - "Order of the Silver Moon" in Lushan - had its start as a religious order founded by the Dorei Church of the Eternal Goddess, one of the majority monotheist religions of the Dorei. It came about as a result of the first official detection of the Fenari - the Gifted - in the Dorei population; those who could use the power of their minds to sense the thoughts and feelings of others, to move things with their minds, and with practice to augment their physical capabilities. The name was meant to invoke the primary moon of Doreia, which was considered the symbol of the Eternal Goddess, and it recruited from the priestesses of the Church and focused itself on developing female worshippers of the faith. Founded in the 18th Century Christian Era, Human Calendar, the Order was initially associated entirely with the Church and with the Lushan monarchy, but in the Period of Federation in the 24th through 26th Centuries it began admitting non-Lushans, even those who didn't worship the Eternal Goddess, so long as they swore oathes to the ideals of the Order; personal selflessness, willingness to sacrifice, love toward others, preserving life, and courage in the face of evil. Non-Gifted lay members were admitted to help maintain the Order in administrative and support capacities while new technologies diversified the tools the Order's Tylani - Sentinels, their term for Order members trained for fighting and other dangerous activities - could use in their many missions. Since contact with other species, members of other races have not been turned away from membership, though only in the 31st Century, after the Dilgrud Wars, did an appreciable number of non-Dorei sign up, mostly Trill and some Humans. The Order's membership is still female, in practice though not rule (there are other orders for male Dorei), though some men, predominately Dorei, work as lay members of the Order. Members of the Order train in the use of multiple types of weapons: chemical firearms, electro-magnetic firearms, energy firearms, vibro-blades, and the current signature weapon of the Fenari, the beamsaber. They also train in Jana Lema, a form of martial arts favored by the Lushan akin to Human savate and karate, allowing them to be capable of unarmed combat. Members are also trained to make full use of the telepathic and telekinetic nature of their talents should an occasion call for it; altogether avoiding conflict is desired, as preserving life is a major purpose of the Order. The current rank of full members of the Order stands at 408 full members; 260 of them are Dorei, with 134 Humans, 13 Trill, and 1 Thanagarian. A similar proportion of the races exists among the Apprentices and the Initiates, while the lay membership are 93% Dorei, as all but two cloisters of the Order are on Doreia. The other two are on Human-populated worlds, one on New Anglia in the Princess Caroline Islands and the other on Andalusia in the countryside outside of Marbella. As such they generally attract lay members of Humanity, though in practice some of the necessary support functions in the two Human-world cloisters are provided by contracted workers who do not join the Order. Hierarchy In the Order, there is an established ranking system based upon a combination of seniority and merit. The refinement of abilities permits the Sisters of the Silver Moon, as all members above the laymen are known, to pass the tests to gain higher positions eventually, though those with considerable merit through skill and actions might take the tests sooner or, in some cases, have a Writ of Recognition signed by the Order Council that grants them a new rank in light of accomplishments outside of standard tests - one's deeds, and the skill needed to accomplish them, are thus recognized, allowing the doer to rise without further testing. The Order Council - Genta Lana - consists of seven figures, which also correspond to the two highest ranks available to those in the Order. Led by the Grand Master (sometimes rendered as Mistress due to the uniform gender of Silver Moon members) they make the decisions of the Order, ranging from the expenditure of financial donations, the establishment and governance of the many Cloisters, decisions of doctrine and testing standards, and as stated, Writs of Recognition to provide promotion in rank without the standard test. Senior Ranks and Titles Sana-Hamal Henu Elua (Grand Master/Mistress of the Silver Moon) is the title given to the most experienced and accomplished member of the Order. Despite many Humans and some Trill having served in the Order over the past centuries, no Human has yet arisen to this rank and has always been held by a Dorei. Once limited to Lushan Dorei and to actual members of the Church of the Eternal Goddess, the Reforms of 3215 changed the rules to permit the rank to be open to all regardless of religious affiliation, though in practice every Grand Mistress since has been a practitioner of this majority Lushan faith. Hamal Henu Elua (Master/Mistress of the Silver Moon) is the title of the other six members of the Council, as well as anywhere from ten to sixteen other members in practice. To become a Master of the Silver Moon is to showcase enormous talent in one's "Gift" and to have clearly spent a lifetime living up to the ideals and code of the Order. The age of the Masters may vary; some are centenarians while others are only in their late fifties or early sixties, having quickly proven themselves skilled while serving in the lower ranks. Those Masters who are not part of the Council are typically placed in charge of the Cloisters - they very rarely operate in the field, though their presence in a fight can easily be decisive depending on circumstance. Sana-Jadar Henu Elua (Grand Knight/Dame of the Silver Moon) is a ceremonial title awarded to the most skilled Master who is not on the Council. It is the role of the Grand Knight to be the Council's spokeswoman to the rest of the Order and to enact their decisions. When translated to English the term is usually rendered as "Grand Dame" due to the system of styling used in the Anglian peerage, but this is a case of cultural translation that does not apply to the Lushan-Dorei context of the title: "Jadar" ''is clearly translated as "Knight" in the context of the word in Lushan culture. Field Ranks ''Tagar-Jadar Henu Elua (Knight-Captain/Dame-Captain of the Silver Moon) is the title of the Order's veteran members, who have usually served for at least four decades as full members in the Order, thus meaning they are typically at the age of 60 or thereabout when they achieve the rank, some being as old as 70 to 75; they make up no more than a fifth of the overall number of active Sisters. They are skilled ESPers, capable of employing a wide range of abilities in combat situations. Knight-Captains are all prospective Masters, though the Council only recognizes them as such at the average of one per decade. While some remain in the field, leading Knights and Sentinels into battle or in other operations, those who show disposition toward teaching the Gift toward others are typically assigned to the Cloisters, where they train the Initiates and Acolytes. When translated to English the term is usually rendered as "Dame-Captain" due to the system of styling used in the Anglian peerage, but this is a case of cultural translation that does not apply to the Lushan-Dorei context of the title: "Jadar" ''is clearly translated as "Knight" in the context of the word in Lushan culture. ''Jadar Henu Elua (Knight/Dame of the Silver Moon) is a title and rank given to Sisters who serve with distinction, usually earned by the 40th birthday, though there have been Knights as young as 23 who were recognized for extraordinary valor and sacrifice on behalf of the Order and those it protects. As a group they make up about a third of the Order. On top of assignments in the field, a Knight of the Order is typically charged with the training of an Apprentice drawn from the ranks of the Acolytes - in rare occasions they are even permitted to take an old Initiate in her final years as such to train, though they must get the approval of the Council to do so. When translated to English the term is usually rendered as "Dame" due to the system of styling used in the Anglian peerage, but this is a case of cultural translation that does not apply to the Lushan-Dorei context of the title: "Jadar" ''is clearly translated as "Knight" in the context of the word in Lushan culture. ''Tylani Henu Elua (Sentinel of the Silver Moon) is the basic rank of all full members of the Order, typically being admitted at the 20th Birthday (though this varies by skill and race, with the Dorei average being 20-21 while Humans, who develop slightly faster, are admitted at the 18-19 range more often) and making up about half of the active membership. The Sentinels are fully trained in the use of their ESP abilities, though experience will continue to sharpen and refine those abilities. They are most commonly found in the field, working under a Knight or Knight-Captain or even amongst each other as circumstances dictate. Trainee Ranks Petany Henu Elua (Apprentice of the Silver Moon) is the rank bestowed upon Acolytes picked by a Knight for personal training. The Apprentices operate in the field beside their Knight teachers (Whom are usually addressed as Master, as all junior rated members of the Order address those in higher positions) to get direct experience and training, though a Knight is considered bound to do everything possible to preserve their Apprentices' lives. In some cases Apprentices will begin to have close relationships with their Knights, though it can vary. After all, some Knights may not be too good as teachers. Hatan Henu Elua (Acolyte of the Silver Moon) is the rank given to those full members of the Order who reach the age of 15. As Acolytes their educations are geared toward more sophisticated harnessing of the Gift and toward learning the skills necessary for a member of the Order to survive, though they also complete the more basic educations started as Initiates. They are taught to maintain and even construct weapons, particularly the eponymous beamsaber, and in those weapons' use. The most promising are taken as Apprentices early, while those who struggle tend to be taken only much later, if at all. If an Acolyte is never apprenticed, it does not necessarily mean they will not have anywhere to go in the Order, however. At age 20 they are given their first attempt at passing the Sentinel Trials and, if failing such, are permitted a year to attempt two more times. If still failing, on the 21st Birthday they are permitted a final attempt; if it fails, they are reduced to the lay ranks of the Order; many end up departing outright to live as ordinary civilians or, in some cases, to be recruited by other groups if such is offered. Feytan Henu Elua (Initiate of the Silver Moon) is the lowest rank given to the Gifted of the Order. None younger than 10 years of age are inducted (though prospective Initiates can be sent to prepatory schools connected to the Order). At induction as an Initiate a girl is brought to live in an Cloister with other Initiates and Acolytes. Once in the Cloister she is given an education in rudimentary use of her Gift, such as "Mindwalls", while also educated in the history and traditions of the Order and of the Church of the Eternal Goddess (alternative courses on other religions are permitted in the two Human Cloisters and the main Cloister in Darnis, Lushan). Basic education in other fields like biology, physical science, literature, general history, and mathematics are also provided, as all are seen as necessary to make one a fully functioning part of the Order. Upon reaching the age of 15 they are made into Acolytes automatically, though the most skilled and promising prodigies of the Initiates may be taken as Apprentices by Knights. Special Titles Special titles are available to those who were once Sisters of the Order, the title depends on their rank upon leaving and the circumstances in which they departed. Benal-Katal Henu Elua (Eternal Honoured of the Silver Moon) is a title given to retired Grand Masters or to Masters who go into the field and die with honor for the causes of the Order. All are given special entries into the Annals of the Silver Moon and annexes of Cloisters, or entire new Cloisters, are named in their honor. Katal Henu Elua (Honoured of the Silver Moon) is a title bestowed upon those of the Order who are slain upholding the causes of the Order, regardless of their rank at the time of death. All are given entries into the Annals of the Silver Moon. Benal-Paman Henu Elua (Eternal Departed of the Silver Moon) is the title bestowed on those Sisters of the Silver Moon who pass away peacefully or who are no longer in the Order upon their deaths. Their names are kept in the Rolls of the Sisterhood. If a retired Sister dies while performing an act in honor of the Order's code, the Council can decide to promote her to the ranks of the Honoured or Eternal Honoured, depending upon her rank when she retired from the Order. Paman Henu Elua (Departed of the Silver Moon) is the customary title of all Sisters who retire from the Order under good circumstances and who are below the rank of Grand Master. Laytar ''(Disgraced) is a common term and official "title" given to all Sisters who are expelled from the Order for violating its Code and ideals. Whether it is a Sister who consistantly acts with cowardice in action, a Sister who abuses her powers be they institutional or of the Gift, or a Sister who outright commits betrayal against the Order, it is generally a final and terrible judgement. The Disgraced are ejected from the Order without any compensation or assistance in adapting to life outside of it. All Order members are required to shun a Disgraced former Sister regardless of prior relationship. Only the Council may revoke the status of a Disgraced, and such does not come often. By records it has only occured eight times since the founding of the Order. Lay Membership Rankings The laity of the Order have their own hierarchy, though even the highest lay member is considered subordinate to a full member (though, as with the case of senior NCOs and green Lieutenants in an Army, a Sentinel will not easily ignore the most senior of the laymen). ''Sana-Kanta (Grand-Manager) is for the seniormost layman or laywoman of the Order. She (occasionally "he") serves in the main Cloister of the Silver Moon in the Lushan capital of Darnis, assisting the Council in the day-to-day administration of the Order. Kanta (Manager) are the heads of the laity, one per Cloister, responsible for ensuring that the Cloister's day-to-day affairs run smoothly. Issues like the procurement of food and supplies or the tracking of financial expenditures are their responsibility, though the Master in charge of the Cloister makes all final decisions on budget expenditures. Kanta-Del (Lieutenant Managers) are those laymen of sufficient skill and seniority to aid Managers in their duties in the Cloisters. They typically oversee, directly, the lay staff of each Cloister in specific departments (Food Preparation, Land Maintenance, Structure Maintenance, etc.). Sam-Len (Senior Layman) are experienced members of the laity who have become masters of a trade, be it cooking, planting, or equipment repair. Len (Layman) are the average members of the laity who have learned one of the trades involved in supporting the Order. Petany-Len (Apprentice-Layman) are young members of the laity, typically of age 12 to 20, who are learning one or more trades while assisting the laity in any aspect deemed necessary. Otanan (Worker) are non-laity hired to cover any existing vacancies that a lack of laity of appropriate grade and rank open. In Dorei territory there are very few Workers, all typically of Layman level with some Senior Laymen, as the Dorei Cloisters are able to recruit laymen from local populations easy enough. The two Cloisters in Human communities, however, have found themselves recruiting many Workers for all positions, all the way up to Lieutenant Manager (Or Assistant Managers as Humans prefer); only Managers are required to be affirmed laity, this by Council Decree, with Dorei Managers ordered to move into the Human-territory Cloisters if necessary in order to run them. Traditions and Rituals Founded as a religious order under the auspices of the Church of the Eternal Goddess, the Order has always had particular traditions and rituals meant to reinforce the faith of its membership. Early on they were part and parcel with the church traditions, but as the Order gained a history and then opened its doors to Dorei of other faiths, and eventually non-Dorei, the traditions and rituals began to change, intended to reinforce the ideals and moral code of the Order more than religious creeds. The Dilgrud War and the Occupation of Doreia left its mark as well. The loss of so many members of the Order and the suffering caused by the Dilgrud were permanent scars on the memory of those in the Order, a reinforcement of the horrible fates that might await those who stand up for their causes as those of the Silver Moon are meant to. These traditions are an important part of life for those who are in the Order. They reinforce the beliefs of its membership and provide occasion to ensure continued mastery of the Gift, inspire both pride and humility in one's accomplishments, and provide solace for those mourning the loss of friends and lovers. Formal Introduction All members of the Order will give Formal Introductions during the various rituals and services of the Order. The Introduction consists of one's full name, the given names of one's parents, and one's land of birth (for Dorei it is one's hometown and home nation, for Humans it is usually rendered as hometown and home planet), appended by rank where appropriate. Example: Damisa Sano-Nedl Pantan, daughter of Kamina Mana and Faron Tel, of Teyga in Hargano, Knight of the Silver Moon. These Introductions are used only in formal, ritual circumstances; in day to day interaction or for introductions outside of Order rituals, the title comes first, then the given name, and occasionally one's assigned Cloister (either the one in which one was trained or, if applicable, where one is assigned). Rites Initiation Rite The Initiation Rite is performed for all who formly join the Order, whether as Gifted Sisters or as laity. For the latter it is performed whenever they choose to join; for the former, it is done as a child or youth upon becoming an Initiate. The ceremony is led by a Cloister's Master, if available, or a resident Knight-Captain if the Master of a Cloister is unavailable. Friends in the Order and family are invited to attend - multiple rites are usually performed in a common ceremony. The form of the Rite is fairly simple. Adorned in humble robes dyed in Lushan purple (for Dorei the "dull" purple hue is a "humble" color, not rich like it is for Humans) the initiate is brought before the Master by an advocate already in the Order, a Sentinel or Knight for an Initiate or if laity a close friend, either of the Gifted or the laity. The advocate formally presents her (occasionally his, for laity) initiate prospect before the Master by referring to her or him by full name and land of birth, then their purpose for approaching the Order. The Master invites the initiate to confirm her/his advocate's introduction. When the confirmation is complete the Master prompts the initiate to give the formal oath. I, , do swear here, in the presence of the Eternal Goddess/Almighty God/Christ King, that I shall stand in constant obedience to the Code of the Order; that I shall use my Gifts/my Skills for the benefit of the Order and not myself, that I shall act always to preserve Life, that I shall act always to protect the Innocent and Helpless, that I shall act always to accomplish Justice, that I shall act always to place the good of others before my own, that I shall act always to oppose Evil and to show courage in Evil's presence, and that I shall always give of myself, even my very life, to do that which is right and stop that which is wrong. So I swear here, and may I be struck down if I do not hold true. For Dorei the oath is administered with a hand over the heart, head bowed in supplication. Human initiates sometimes mirror this practice, but it is acceptable for one to instead perform a Human (or more accurately Western Human) style of oath-giving, in which the right hand is raised and the left hand placed upon a holy book or text of some form. The Trill who join - almost all as children or youths entering as Initiates - tend to follow the Dorei example. Upon the completion of the oath the Master applies several drops of ceremonial oil to the head of the initiate and proclaims their acceptance into the Order, at which time the admitted initiate takes her or his place behind the Master, in the ranks and place of the observing members of the Order. Progression Rites Progression Rites is a term given to the various Rites used to show promotion within the ranks of the Order. In the laity these are simple affairs, usually overseen by the Manager or Lieutenant Manager of a Cloister, with little to no involvement from the Master of the Cloister. A statement of a layman/laywoman's progression in skill and capability is given and the promoted laity is granted their new rank. For the Gifted of the Order, this is a more complicated affair, as each rank has an involved ceremonial rite. Acolyte Rite Like Initiation Rites, Acolyte Rites are common affairs. Every 100 days the Initiates of a Cloister who have reached the age of 15 during the prior 100 days are brought before the Master of the Cloister. These Initiates will have been educated together, selected for their specific group upon joining, with the same group of instructors assigned to them. Each is brought forward by the group's Rector (a Knight-Captain) and presented to the Master, with a reading of their accomplishments and learning. Students confirm their Rector's summary and are invited to prove their education in the use of their Gift through an act of Mind-Moving, usually lifting a small object from a table and summoning it to their hand, an act well within the skill range of a 15 year old Initiate. Once their refinement in the use of their Gift is proven the Master anoints the individual in ceremonial oil and recognizes their progression to the position of Acolyte. Their plain purple robes are removed and replaced with new robes, these with one quarter lunar phase markings on the arms indicating Acolyte status. Apprentice Rite When an Acolyte is picked by a Knight to become an Apprentice, a special Rite is performed in the presence of an available Master. In the presence of the Master, who gives a formal introduction of the Acolyte, the Knight of the Order formally introduces herself in turn and offers to train her prospective Apprentice in the full use of her Gift. Placing her hand on the shoulder of the Acolyte, the Knight pledges responsibility for her education and fullfilment of her future as well as for her life. The Acolyte replies by placing her hand upon the arm of the Knight and pledging her responsibility to be a dutiful student, to obey the Knight's instruction and assist her in fulfilling any duties she is given. When the Pledges have been exchanged the Master anoints the Knight and Acolyte and gives formal recognition Sentinel Rite Sentinel Rite History Pre-Interstellar Period The Order of the Silver Moon was established in the 18th Century in the late Interplanetary technological era of the Dorei race, when their most powerful nations were commencing terraforming of lunar and planetary bodies across their home solar system. Created by the Church of the Eternal Goddess to help guide young Lushan woman who were developing the Gift, the Order was one of many that dotted the planet without any defining characteristic. After the Sindai Wars of the 22nd Century and the Great System War of the 23rd Century, the Federation of Nations was but one of many new entities amongst the Dorei. Religious orders began to die out as the various nations grew more and more secular. The development of Heim Drive and the colonization of Ji'Doreia and Astranai dispersed the population further. But where other Religious Orders of Gifted died out or merged with each other, the Silver Moon remained independent due to a strong tradition of what some might call a "humanist" outlook on issues. Eventually it even opened its doors to the Gifted Dorei women of other nations and creeds, emphasizing the code and values of the Order more than its religious doctrine. As such the Order survived into the Interstellar Era. Interstellar Period and War Early Interstellar Period In the Interstellar Period the wars between the Dorei states ended for the most part as there were new competitors, primarily the warlike Thanagarians and the expansionist Humans of New Anglia. Throughout the Early Intersteller Age of Doreia the Order of the Silver Moon began to attain a reputation for its chivalric code and noble beliefs, such that it was given grudging consideration by the militant Thanagarians and excited the interest of feminist philosphers amongst the Anglians. However, it would be two Trill women, Lela Zamen and Fadzia Tigan, who would become the first non-Dorei members of the Order during the early 27th Century, joining at the ages of 21 and 25 respectively as Initiates and both reaching Sentinel status by age 30 under special dispensation from the Grand Master of the time (Fadzia Tigan would go on to become the first non-Dorei Master of the Silver Moon later in her life, at age 80). Later, in 2653, Teresa Reynaldo became the first Human to join the Order (she would reach the rank of Knight-Captain before retiring in 2702), opening the way for other Human women ESPers to join the Order. During the various wars of the Dorei Nations in the period leading up to the 30th Century, even those not involving the Lushan or even Dorei, the Order of the Silver Moon often volunteered its members to give aid to beleaguered civilian populaces. They were recognized by the New Anglians as a humanitarian NGO in 2698; in 2801, during the Third Anglia-Thanagar War, the Thanagarian Ruling Council also recognized the Order as an organization tasked with delivering succor to war-ravaged civilian populations. In 2872, during the Lushan-Anglian War (sparked by a Lushan attempt to colonize a continent of Latium), the Lushan monarchy threatened to arrest the Council and any Silver Moon member who did not accept military control and did take into custody, and eventually expatriate, four Human members of the Order (including one who was not even a New Anglian subject), one of many actions of the out-of-control Lushan royal family that led to the abdication of King Tanaro XIX and the liberalization of the Lushan nation. The policy of the Order of the Silver Moon to stay out of wars ended with the beginning of the terrible Dilgrud-Dorei War in 2920. The Dilgrud Wars For twenty-five years the Dorei Nations, in unity, fought the Dilgrud invasions of their colonies. Every resource was expended toward building the fleets to attempt desperate defenses or counter-attacks. The Order of the Silver Moon, for the first time in its history, suborned itself to government authority, offering its entire rank to be used as guerrila fighters, commanders, or specialists. Of the seven hundred and eighty Sisters to be counted as full members of the order during the quarter-century of desperate, doomed war, only two hundred and eight survived. Among the slain were two Grand Masters, thirty Masters, and at one point the entire contingent of Knights were lost, with most of the Sentinels, during the fall of Astranai. The atomic destruction of Darnis during the final attempts to resist the Dilgrud conquest of Doreia itself cost the Order many priceless artifacts and manuscripts, including original hand-written copies of the journals and orders of the Order's first Grand Masters. In the end, only two hundred members of the Order, including Initiates and Acolytes, survived the conquest. They went underground and worked with the Dorei resistance groups, trying to keep their people alive. Death was only one of several terrible fates that awaited the Sisters of the Order under Dilgrud rule. Any captured Sister, even those who were Human, that was not killed out of hand for the slightest appearance of resistance to Dilgrud forces were subjected to experimentation under the Emperor Djakaedan's "Racial Enhancement Decree". Cruel and terrible genetic and biologic experiments were conducted on captured Sisters, as well as casual beatings and violations by their guards and the Dilgrud leaders of the camps, including summary execution for the slightest resistance. The Sisters in these camps gained a reputation amongst the Dilgrud for their suicidal adherence to their code, such as refusal to kill in the forced gladiatorial combats the Dilgrud held for their ESPer prisoners (both for entertainment of personnel and for data collection regarding ESPer capabilities) despite the fact that such refusal mandated instant execution under the Dilgrud rules. Ultimately only a scant handful of Sisters, out of over a hundred, would ever survive Dilgrud camps, almost all by way of daring escape. This came to an end in in 2956 with the Anglian liberation of Doreia. As the victorious Human Kingdom drove the Dilgrud out the remaining Sisters of the Silver Moon - still at two hundred including Acolytes and Initiates - joined their fellow Dorei in trying to rebuild their war-torn, shattered homeworld. Aftermath The Liberation of Doreia and the end of what Anglians called the First Dilgrud War left the nations of the Dorei a free but broken people. Their ability to be independent had been shattered irrevocably. Every family had known loss, with 11 billion deaths out of approximately 26 billion Dorei having been suffered in the prior fourty-three years. In this environment the Order, for a time, focused on rebuilding. Though individual Sentinels and Knights did get involved in thwarting crime rings and other groups taking advantage of the desperate people of the broken world, the Order was more concerned with helping restore the Dorei nations and replenishing its ranks than in sending its members across the region, and especially into the Outback, to perform errands of mercy and protection. Thus for a century the focus of the Order would be on following through on the rebuilding of Doreia and of itself. Even when that was completed by 3010, the further wars with the Dilgrud provided distraction from a re-orientating of the Order's policies, the Order offering its experienced full members to the Anglian military during the Third Dilgrud War as scouts, commandos, and combat specialists, which claimed another forty-eight Sisters and left sixty crippled. The Order Council would not be rushed in rebuilding its ranks, however, refusing recommendations from some Knight-Captains and Masters to grant automatic Sentinel status to Acolytes above age 20 and use them in lesser roles to free up fully-tested Sentinels for field duties. As such, while other ESPer organizations and orders of the Dorei and the Trill sometimes allowed their skill average to be diluted in their rank replenishment drives, the Order retained a high level of overall skill by continuing to recruit and train members as it had for centuries. One new development came in 3008 when, after years of intense debate, the Order opened its first Cloister on a non-Dorei world, purchasing land outside the city of Summerville in the New Caroline Islands of New Anglia. The new Cloister would be used to train Human ESPer Initiates who were admitted to the Order (most were no younger than 12 or 13, some escaping from broken homes and others permitted to join by parents who were aware of the Order's reputation and honored to see their child admitted) all the way to Sentinel rank, though for the first few decades most taken as Apprentices were given their Sentinel trials on Doreia or other Dorei worlds. By the end of the 31st Century, the Order of the Silver Moon had finally recovered fully from the terrible losses of the Dilgrud Wars, reaching a desired contingent of over three hundred fully-trained Sisters of Sentinel rank or higher and over five hundred Initiates and Acolytes. The time had come to determine how the Order would operate. The Order from 3100 to 3400 For three hundred years the Order has orientated itself toward the fulfillment of its original purpose; to give aid and comfort to the innocent and needy and to confront those who would do wrong to their fellow sentients. Sisters of the Order swear an oath to use their Gift to preserve life, protect the innocent, see justice done, and to do whatever is necessary to accomplish these noble means. To be a Sister of the Silver Moon is to put others before one self and to suffer whatever must be suffered in order to accomplish the success of a cause of the Order, whether it be the elimination of a sentient-trafficking ring or the defense of an independent colony from pirate attack. As ESPers go the Sisters are particularly capable melee fighters and operators, though not as brutally effective as the Mercenary organizations and Orders can sometimes be. Currently the Sisters maintain small chapters on all worlds of the Anglian Empire and the inhabited words of the Dilgrud, each chapter consisting of a Knight (a Knight-Captain in some cases) and a contingent of Sisters. Specialized detachments also operate as temporary or permanent chapters in the independent worlds and settlements in the Outback, aiding innocent settlers and colonists against the pirates and other criminal gangs that threaten their livelihoods, even their very freedoms. Chapters of the Silver Moon range as far as the shoal sectors known as Wild Space, though those assignments are considered especially dangerous as the powers of that region are not friendly toward the Order; many Sisters have entered the rolls of the Honoured after falling in Wild Space. The ranks of the Order continue to be dominated by Dorei, but with increasing numbers of Humans and still a trickle of Trill joining the organization. To date there have only been three Thanagarians to become Sentinels - that race's ESP population was especially hard-hit by the Dilgrud and has spent the four hundred years since recovering slowly from the brink of demographic collapse. As the 35th Century dawns, the Order is currently on a stable path. The Dorei generally support it, providing the vast majority of its lay membership and daughters with the Gift for its ranks as well as the bulk of its financial support. It enjoys some ideological support from the Trill, though as a rational, secularist people their support in that race tends to come from individuals with connections of some sort to the Order. Support from Humans has been slowly but steadily growing since the 32nd Century. Already the Human race has provided eight Masters of the Order, two Grand-Knights, and numerous ESPers of the other ranks. The Government recognizes it as a private charitable organization and it enjoys some support from Parliament from time to time, including a trickle of funding and often the support of the Lord Priest of the Church of the Eternal Goddess who sits in the House of Lords in Westminster as one of the Lords Spiritual. There are some who calculate that if the current rates remain steady, the Order's main membership will reach racial parity between Humans and Dorei by the middle of the 36th Century. The current leadership already recognizes this drift and has mostly embraced it. "The Order has grown beyond the Lushan people or the Dorei race as a whole," Grand Master Jenta Samdo was quoted as saying in 3374. "It is a Sisterhood of all sentient races willing to affirm the same values regardless of religious belief. So long as our Sisters stand in defense of those threatened with evil actions, the Order will stand regardless of which race makes up its ranks." Current Membership Category:ESPer Orders